Apparatus for knitting



March 5, 1935. H. FUCHS 1,993,509

APPARATUS FOR KNITTING Filed March 11, 1933 /l I A 1Z!I( 7 Q 19 J- 0 0 OSnnentor 'HERMAN FUCHS (Ittomeg are then moved between alternate needlsto form Patented as, 5, 1%35 TED TENT "1771i;

cam mechanism is compensated for by the expending action of the yieldingsupport. Consequently, I maintain the yarn under a substan-" tiallyuniform tension and in loops of uniform size during the knittingoperation. 5

The characteristic features and advantages of my improvements willfurther appear from the following description and the accompanyingdrawing of illustrative embodiments thereof.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a sectionof a full fashioned knitting machine having knock-over bits supported inaccordance with my invention; Figure 2 is a,diagrammatic transversesectional view of a. full fashioned knitting machine having myimprovements applied thereto; Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation,partly in section, showing one form of yielding support for theknock-over" bits; and Figure a is a front elevation illustratingdiagrammatically a second form of yielding support for knock-over bitsof a type of fullfashioned knitting machine commonly known as the Germantype of knitting machine.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawing, a full fashionedknitting machine, of known type, is provided with a thread carrier 1which lays yarn under tension from a suitable source of supply uponsinkers 2, operated by a usual slur cock, to form loops around needles3, which loops are sub-divided by dividers 4, operated by a usual formof catch bar. The needles 3 are mounted upon a usual form of needle bar,which is operated by a usual type of cam mechanism to first move theneedles 3 downwardly so that their beards overlap the loops formed bythe sinkers and dividers; then move the needles inwardly against thepress-bar 6 to close the beards; then move the needles outwardly to theends 2' of the sinkers 2 and ends a of the dividers 4.; and then movethe needles downwardly to knit the loops thereon through the previouscourse of loops.

When the needles 3 have moved the loops outwardly to the ends 2' of thesinkers and 4' of the dividers, the old loops are cast off onto theknock-over bits 7, which are mounted upon a knock-over bar 8 havingjournals journalled in bearings supported by the frame of the sinkerhead. The knock-over bar 8 has connected therewith a link 10, which haspivotally connected therewith a link 11 having at the end thereof anelongated seat by whichitisjournalled on a bearing 12 of the lever 13fulcrumed on the bearing 14. The seat in the rod 11 for the hearing 12is substantially greater in width than the My invention is an improvedapparatus for knitting fabrics, particularly on full fashioned knittingmachines in which reciprocating thread carriers lay threads along a rowof sinkers which loops. The loops are subsequently subdivided by themovements of usual dividers and the smaller loops are discharged fromthe sinkers and dividers onto knock-over bits by which such loops areheld while the needles are drawing down such new course of loops throughthe previou'sly formed loops of the fabric.

In order to obtain uniform stitches in such fabrics, it is desirablethat the yarn forming the new course of loops be held undersubstantially uniform tension from the time such loops are formed by thesinkers and dividers until they are knitted through the loops of thepreceding course, so as to avoid any distortion in the size or shape ofthe respective loops from the time they are formed until their knittinginto the fabric is completed. Such distortion in the size and shapes ofthe loops commonly results from failure to elevate the knock-over bitssufficiently high to maintain the tension on the yarn after the loopsare discharged from the sinkers and dividers, or from failure to drawdown the needles immediately upon the discharge of the loops onto-theknockover bits. If, however, the loops are subjected to excessivetension or stress by movement of the needles downward before the usualcam mechanism efiects the corresponding movement of the knock-over bits,the yarn is likely .to be stretched and broken or the needles bent orbroken, with consequent irreparable damage to the fabric.

In accordance with my invention, the knockover bits are yieldinglysupported so as to pernit slight relative movement between theknockover-bits and the cam mechanism by which they are operated. Thisyielding support elevates the knock-over bits above the positions towhich they are normally elevated by their cams and to positionssubstantially level with the discharge ends of the sinkers and dividers,so that there is substantially no change in the tension imposed by theneedles on the yarn loops in the movement thereof from the sinkers anddividers onto the knock-over bits. The breakage of the yarn or needles,on the downward movement of the latter, is prevented by the yielding ofthe knockover bits to a limited extent before they are moved downward bythe cam mechanism for operating the same, and any irregularity in themovement of the knock-over bits induced by the ciprocable in the arm 11and normally pressed outwardly against the bearing 12 by a spring 16.The thrust of the spring 16 through the mechanism described causes themovement of the knock-over bits '7 to an elevated position adjacent tothe ends of the sinkers and dividers when the knock-over bar is moved toits upper position The lever 13 is pivotally connected by a link 17 witha lever 18, which is rocked through a roller 19 by the cam 20 on themain cam-"shaft 21 of themachine.

It will be understood that whenthe needles are about to move the loopsfrom the sinkers and dividers onto the knock-over bits 7, the high pointof the cam 20 engages the roller 19 and acts through the intermediatelever mechanism to elevate the knock-over bar to its highest position,and the knock-over bits are held in their highest position adjacent tothe sinkers by the spring 16. As the loops are discharged onto theknock-over bits'l, the needle bar is moved downward, drawing with it theneedles 3 and the loops thereon. This movement pulls the knock-over bitsdownwardly again the yielding action of the spring 18 before therotation of the cam 20 permits sumcient movement of the roller 19 andconnected lever m to move the knock-over bar 8 downwardly. After thenose of the cam 20 has passed beyond the roller 19, so as to permit thedownward move-.

ment of the knock-over bar 8, the spring 16 tends to expand so as tomaintain a constant tension on the loops until they are drawn from theknock-over bits and knitted'into the preceding row of loops of thefabric.

As illustrated in Figure 4, my invention may be applied to afull-fashioned knitting machine having a vertically reciprocatingknock-,over bar 30 containing recesses 8b for the reception ofoperating-rods 80 mounted on a shaft 86 from which movement istransmitted to the knockover bar and bits through yielding springs 8e.

Having described my invention I claim- 1. In a knitting machine, thecombination with a ioopforming mechanism, and knock-over bitscooperating therewith, of operating mechafor the bits including a leverhaving'a longitudinal bore communicating with a pivot-end slot, a secondlever, abearmg in said slot pivotally connecting said levers, a plungerin said bore, and-a spring in said bore biasing the plunger against saidbearing.

2. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, the

diameter of the bearing 12, and a pin 15 is re combination with sinkersand a movable bar carrying knock-over bits adjacent to said sinkers, ofmeans for operating said bar including a yielding connection having abearing with spaced bearing surfaces and a member movable between saidbearing surfaces, and a device biasing said member toward one of saidbearing surfaces.

3. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, the combination with sinkers, amovable bar carrying knock-over bits co-operating with said sinkers andmeans for-operating said bar including a yielding connection comprisinga slotted member having bearing surfaces at the ends of said slot, assecond member movable in said slot be tween said surfaces and acompression spring carried by one of said members and biasing saidsecond named member toward one of said bearing surfaces.

4. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, the combination with sinkersand a movable bar carrying knock-over bits cooperating with saidsinkers, and means for operating said bar and including a rockingmember, a second member having a bearing surface having a fixed relationto said knock-over bits and a biasing device biasing said knock-overbits upward, said rocking member engaging said bearing surface andelevating said knock-over bits to their normal position on compressionor failure of the biasing device, and said rocking member otherwiseengaging said biasing device and elevating said knock-over bits beyondthe normal elevation to which they are movable by the engagement of saidmember with said bearing surface.

5. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, the

combination with sinkers and a movable bar carrying knock-over bitscooperating with said sinkers and a cam for elevating said knock-overbits to normal upward position relative to said sinkers, and a levertrain through which said knock-over bits are operable by said cam and abiasing device by which said knock-over bits are biased, said levertrain including bearing surfaces positively engageable to move saidknock-over bits to normal upward position upon compression or failure ofsaid biasing device,

and the movement imparted to the lever train FUCHS.

